The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has pledged ₦1million to any Nigerian law school student who can provide a legal authority where a judge granted a stay of release for an individual acquitted by the court.
This challenge was announced in Abuja on Tuesday by Kanu’s legal team, led by Aloy Ejimakor, alongside Jude Ugwuanyi, Nnaemeka Ejiofor, and Mandela Umegborogu.
Speaking on Kanu’s behalf, Ejiofor stated:
“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu pledges ₦1 million to any law student in Nigeria who can find a precedent on stay of execution in criminal proceedings where an acquitted person is restrained from enjoying their freedom. This illegality, rooted in bias against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu due to his Igbo heritage, will haunt Nigeria’s legal system for generations.”
The legal team reiterated that Kanu’s continued detention lacks legal backing, emphasizing that it violates established laws.
“It is noteworthy that Onyendu’s ongoing detention at the Department of State Security Service (DSS) is illegal and unsupported by any court order. Onyendu was initially remanded based on claims of bail jumping. However, the Court of Appeal quashed all charges against him for lack of jurisdiction and violations of extradition laws in Kenya and Nigeria,” Ejiofor explained.
The lawyers criticized Justice Tsamani of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, for issuing what they described as an unprecedented and unlawful order to stay Kanu’s release.
“This order was illegally granted. Never in the history of any country’s jurisprudence has an acquitted person been denied release through a stay of execution,” Ejiofor concluded.
Kanu remains in detention despite the Court of Appeal’s ruling in his favor, with his legal team insisting on his immediate and unconditional release.
Be the first to comment